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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance January 29 20021 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL Finance and Administrative Services Committee January 29, 2002 The meeting was called to order at 12:00 p.m. by Committee Member Sam Crawford in the Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington. Present: Dan McShane Sharon Roy Also Present: L. Ward Nelson Seth Fleetwood Laurie Caskey- Schreiber SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS Absent: None 1. ELECTION OF COMMITTEE CHAIR (AB2002 -023) McShane nominated Crawford. Nomination carried unanimously. COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL 1. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT AND THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTER FOR UNDIFFERENTIATED SERVICES IN THE AMOUNT OF $40,000 (AB2002 -030) Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated this was submitted to the County Council at the January 15 meeting. The Council asked that this be brought before the Finance Committee. The question was about the level of service, the kind of service, and the kind of funding that might be oriented towards this contract. Mr. Jackson submitted information to the Council this morning (on file). There are two kinds of services. One is for a contract in the amount of $40,000 for undifferentiated services. This contract is funded with fees collected from District Court filing fees. There is another $8,000 to $10,000 contract for family mediation services, funded from the general fund. The two programs came through a request for proposal (RFP) process. The County received one bidder, which has been the bidder that has operated the service for approximately 12 years. The family law Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 1/29/2002, Page 1 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. 1 mediation program is a newer service, initiated in 1999 at the request of the court. 2 It is now subject to the procedures and orders of the court when people need that 3 kind of information. The result is fewer demands on court time for handling the 4 kinds of conflicts that come up among families in their disputes. 5 6 N.F. Jackson, Superior Court Clerk, stated he distributed pages from the bid. 7 It is a more complete description of the services by client count. 8 9 Nelson stated they are required to receive a number of cases. He asked if 10 the dispute center is predominantly doing mediations or education. He also asked 11 how that is functioning. Jackson stated there is only one educational component. 12 There are 262 Helping Children through Family Changes clients served in those 13 seminars. The court mandates those seminars. The clients pay for them. This 14 contract allows a sliding fee scale for those who are indigent or near - indigent. That 15 is the primary educational component. The Dealing with Conflict workshop is an 16 umbrella service that pulls families in distress out of the juvenile court system. 17 Most of the contract is for mediations at the District Court level for small claims. 18 Under the anti - harassment civil cases in District Court is where they handle the 19 neighborhood disputes. 20 21 Nelson asked how they are required. Jackson stated the referrals come from 22 the court. 23 24 Nelson asked the requirement of the County to fund this program. Jackson 25 stated the alternative dispute resolution services are authorized, not mandated, by 26 statute. The County Council created the alternative dispute resolution services by 27 County ordinance in 1992. 28 29 Nelson asked why the County Council did that in 1992, and if the County had 30 the necessary mediation components at that time. Jackson stated there were no 31 mediation components at that time. The original purpose was directed toward 32 family law. Most commercial mediations are done under contract. Mediators are 33 not involved. 34 35 Nelson asked if anything changed from 1992 to now in the community. 36 Jackson stated yes. In 1999, after a visioning process in the community, the court 37 adopted a comprehensive court rule changing the way they handle domestic 38 relations cases such as divorce, custody, and support enforcement cases. There 39 are three major planks in that new process. One was to require parents to go to a 40 class. That happened because school counselors, clergy, and therapists were 41 seeing children being hurt by conflict. This process was to educate parents on the 42 subtle way they were hurting their children. The second major change was that 43 mediation was required before a trial date. If they try mediation and it fails, they 44 must go through a settlement conference presided over by a judicial officer. The 45 consequence is that the domestic relations trial rate was significantly diminished in 46 excess of 40 percent. An unexpected benefit was that the parties do not come back 47 for subsequent interpretation or contempt. The cases are surviving. That is a Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 1/29/2002, Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. saving of judicial time. It is also saves the amount of trauma and distress that those families go through. The change in condition was that the court mandated mediation. This contract provides the mediator fee supplement for those people deemed to be indigent or near indigent. It is a sliding scale. Nelson questioned whether there is greater than 40 percent of the cases that have been affected by mediation. He asked how many are going through the Dispute Resolution Center. Jackson stated that there are 1,200 type three domestic relations (divorce) cases filed every year. Some don't involve children. Some are settled because the people have agreed to the division of assets. He speculated that 25 percent of the total quantity of cases that are required to go through the process are going to the Dispute Resolution Center. Nelson stated 75 percent go through other processes or are not required to go through the process. That remaining 25 percent of cases may be eligible for the sliding fee scale. He asked if this is mandated by the court. Jackson stated it is. Nelson stated part B of the contract is for help for the indigent. Jackson stated part A is $40,000 for small claims mediation. Those funds are solely dedicated to that service. Part B is $10,000 fee. It covers two things. It covers mandated family law mediation and mediator fee supplements as a result of the sliding scale. Twenty -five percent of the people go through the process. Not all 25 percent are eligible for the sliding scale. The funding also provides for most of the training for the mediators and all of the scheduling. McShane moved to recommend approval. Motion carried unanimously. 2. ORDINANCE AMENDING THE 2002 BUDGET, REQUEST NO. 1 (AB2002- 058) Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated this is a result of receiving additional grant funding for different kinds of services throughout the community. There is also one other item, a transfer of Conservation Futures funds to establish a purchase of development rights (PDR) program, which is an effort that the County Council authorized by resolution in 2001. Crawford asked how the $17,000 figure came into play. He questioned whether the money is to pay for a consultant. Sylvia Goodwin, Planning Division Manager, stated that is correct. The consultant cost is $13,000 at this point. They are allowing $17,000 if it is extended. There is a tight timeframe. The consultant is in Seattle. The extra money is for contingencies in case they need to amend the contract. If they don't, Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 1/29/2002, Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. the money is available for the next phase, which is to actually look at a broader strategy on Conservation Futures funds. They will look at how they could use Conservation Futures funds and double their benefit by getting agricultural land and flood plain storage, or combine with open space corridors for bike paths or other uses. They will take the next phase to look at the bigger picture to combine parks, recreation, environmental protection, and agriculture. Crawford asked if the County is within its legal ability to spend Conservation Futures money on staff. Desler stated it is consistent in this instance. McShane moved to recommend approval of the ordinance. Motion carried unanimously. 3. ORDINANCE AMENDING WHATCOM COUNTY CODE 24.07, ADMINISTRATIVE NOTICE PROCEEDINGS, CIVIL PENALTIES AND ABATEMENT (AB2002 -059) Regina Delahunt, Health and Human Services Interim Director, stated this proposed amendment establishes a uniform appeals process for health regulations, primarily environmental health regulations. There are many administrative decisions in the department that have no appeals process. She proposes that all the appeals go through the Hearing Examiner. She has discussed this with the Hearing Examiner, who is willing to take on these types of appeals. There are other changes that clean up the ordinance. McShane moved to recommend approval. Motion carried unanimously. 4. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY AND THE OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL TO ADDRESS LEAD BASED PAINT HAZARD REDUCTION IN THE AMOUNT OF $269,820 (AB2002 -069) Crawford asked if this is funded by a grant. Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated it is. The following two items are also a part of this program. It has been put together in cooperation with the Opportunity Council, by the Health and Human Services Department. The costs were approved in the supplemental budget. This item is a contract with the Opportunity Council that implements the effort. Item five on the Finance Committee's agenda is a contract with the State of Washington's Office of Community Development. Item six is a resolution that is required to receive these funds in this community. It relates to protecting individuals engaged in nonviolent civil rights demonstration. Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 1/29/2002, Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. Crawford asked if this is a grant that was obtained by the County or the Opportunity Council. Desler stated the grant was received in cooperation with the Opportunity Council. The Opportunity Council was the party that encouraged the County to apply for the grant. Crawford stated this is great, and he expressed his appreciation for getting this going. Nelson asked the long -term objective, and if the grant is for one year. Desler stated the grant is for one year, but there are efforts to continue it. Nelson asked the long -term goals and objectives of the program. Dave Finet, Opportunity Council Housing Director, stated the long -term objective is to provide a community resource for those entities who provide housing services, whether it is the City of Bellingham, the Opportunity Council, or the Housing Authority. They are all mandated to work under Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regarding lead -based paint. Currently, no one in the community meets those obligations. The Opportunity Council is taking on the responsibility for those services in the community. Nelson asked how they plan to pay for the services. Finet stated there would be a fee for service. They will then work as a non - profit program. Nelson asked if this would come back to the County requesting further funding. Dave stated it would not. Fleetwood questioned Council agenda item six. He asked if the County Code defines "excessive force," as described in this resolution. Desler stated he didn't know. It's not an issue the County has dealt with before, even though the Sheriff's Office complies already in spirit. McShane questioned whether the various cities in the County will need to pass a resolution like this in order to have the Opportunity Council work on this project in the cities. Finet stated it is just required in the County. Crawford stated he would be shocked if any jurisdiction didn't want to pass this resolution. Terry Hinz, Health and Human Services Department Assistant Director, stated this is a federal community block grant, which requires this policy to be in place. McShane moved to recommend approval of Council agenda items four, five, and six. Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 1/29/2002, Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. Motion carried unanimously. McShane stated they should send this resolution to the City of Bellingham. It is something the City should see. S. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND THE WASHINGTON STATE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TO ADDRESS LEAD BASED PAINT HAZARD REDUCTION IN THE AMOUNT OF $272,820 (AB2002 -070) See item four. 6. RESOLUTION SUPPORTING PROTECTING INDIVIDUALS ENGAGED IN NONVIOLENT CIVIL RIGHTS DEMONSTRATION (AB2002 -071) See item four. COUNCIL "CONSENT AGENDA" ITEM 1. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS AND INTER- FLUVE, INC. FOR PHASE ONE OF THE STABILIZATION PROJECTS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE FORK NOOKSACK RIVER NEAR MOSQUITO LAKE ROAD AND BEAVER CREEK LOCATED IN SUDDEN VALLEY IN THE AMOUNT OF $107,251 (AB2002 -072) Paula Cooper, Engineering Manager - River /Flood, stated this is a contract to do a lot of what they do internally. They haven't been able to get to these two projects. They are two of the more complicated projects the staff hasn't been able to get to, so staff put them out to Interfluve. The funds would come out of the flood fund, within the repair and maintenance portion of the flood budget. Crawford asked if the Flood Control Zone District Advisory Committee reviewed these types of things. Cooper stated the Advisory Committee doesn't see the contract, but has been discussing this for a long time. They are aware of the project. Roy moved to recommend approval. Motion carried unanimously. 2. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS RIVER AND FLOOD DIVISION AND NOOKSACK SALMON ENHANCEMENT ASSOCIATION TO PROVIDE PLANNING, TECHNICAL Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 1/29/2002, Page 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. ASSISTANCE AND OVERSIGHT OF PLANTING AND MAINTENANCE WORK SUPPORTING RIPARIAN RESTORATION WORK IN THE AMOUNT OF $100,000 (AB2002 -073) Paula Cooper, Engineering Manager - River /Flood, stated this is a continuation of a program they developed two years ago. One fulltime paid person from this contract oversees all planning operations. This has been an invaluable service that they've never had before. It is paid for from grant money from the State Department of Ecology (DOE), and is passed through to the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) for two years. McShane asked if matching funds come in for projects on the project list that NSEA comes up with. Cooper stated they have only been able to use two fulltime crews. It works to plant the projects that the County's River and Flood Division build, as well as working with drainage districts that are trying to do work to maintain their drainage and need to do plantings as part of that work. They haven't been able to go places where there isn't some type of other work associated with a project. McShane asked if there is a match from the local drainage districts. Cooper stated she tries to get the drainage districts to participate in some manner. McShane moved to recommend approval. Motion carried unanimously. 3. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND THE ARC OF WHATCOM COUNTY — PARENT COALITION TO SUPPORT A BROAD -BASED COMMUNITY COALITION OF PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES IN THE AMOUNT OF $24,000 (AB2002 -074) Andy Byrne, Human Services Manager, stated parent coalitions are statewide. Every county or community has a parent coalition. It is a grassroots organization formed to provide parent education, advocacy, and help to people with developmental disabilities to understand the service system. They responded to a request for proposals (RFP) three or four months ago. They responded with a proposal to address a priority area that they'd set up with the Developmental Disabilities (DD) Board to provide information and education for parents and consumers with developmental disabilities about the service system. This contract is the County's way of providing additional funds for additional activities that they provide. The main outcomes of the contract are a newsletter for people with disabilities, parent training on how to be involved in individual education plans (IEP), helping parents and people with disabilities to find resources and housing. They'll do other parent training to better support children with disabilities. This Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 1/29/2002, Page 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. contract has County funds that add to their resources and allows them to do more of these referrals. Roy stated this contract is mostly for information and training. She asked if any part of this program is for the contractors to go with people with developmental disabilities to an IEP conference. Byrne stated a major activity is to work with parents and people with developmental disabilities to physically walk them through the system. He didn't know if they attend IEP meetings. They could if asked. Roy moved to recommend approval. Motion carried unanimously. 4. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO PURCHASE TWO REPLACEMENT VEHICLES USING THE WASHINGTON STATE CONTRACT FROM FIVE STAR MOTORS IN THE AMOUNT OF $41,077.96 (AB2002 -075) McShane moved to recommend approval. He approved of the hybrid cars. Roy agreed. Motion carried unanimously. 5. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY AND THE STATE OF WASHINGTON TO FACILITATE THE UPDATING OF WHATCOM COUNTY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, CRITICAL AREAS ORDINANCE AND RELATED ZONING TEXTS IN THE AMOUNT OF $86,250 (AB2002- 076) McShane moved to recommend approval. Motion carried unanimously. 6. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT AND THE STATE OF WASHINGTON ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS FOR THE DESIGN OF A COMPREHENSIVE, COORDINATED JUDICIAL RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES IN THE AMOUNT OF $15,000 (AB2002 -077) McShane moved to recommend approval. Crawford asked if this is a grant. Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 1/29/2002, Page 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated it is a grant. The purpose is to determine whether there are more effective ways to deal with domestic violence in the community, in conjunction with the courts. The administration is in favor of exploring this. The administration will work with the Council on the recommendations that will come out later this year to see if there are grant funds that would be appropriate to have an impact on this issue. Motion carried unanimously. 7. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH THE WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY FOR COORDINATED PREVENTION GRANT ACTIVITIES IN THE AMOUNT OF $507,098 (AB2002 -078) McShane moved to recommend approval. Motion carried unanimously. 8. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY AND WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY TO IMPLEMENT NUTRITION MANAGEMENT EDUCATION AND RESEARCH PROJECTS IN THE AMOUNT OF $63,000 (AB2002 -079) Craig MacConnell, Cooperative Extension, stated the first item is about nutrient management. The memorandums of agreement are funded through the water fund and are part of the Comprehensive Water Plan. These are annual contracts. Included is a description of the project, goals for 2002, and some of the accomplishments of 2001. The nutrient management is driven by concerns about nitrates in groundwater and phosphorus in surface water. Most of those nutrients in the rural part of the county emanate from dairy farms, but they are also concerned about phosphorous in the Lake Whatcom watershed. The way they are trying to handle nitrogen is through exportation of excess nitrogen so the dairy farmers can move some of those nutrients out of the watershed and away from the farm. For 2002, they will look at the fiber byproduct out of anaerobic digestion. There are solids that come out of that. They are in collaboration with the Washington Nursery and Landscape Association to do some research looking at that fiber as a substitute for peat moss. That is the highest value market segment that they've been able to identify for that fiber. They will continue the work of the bio- gas support team, which is the Port of Bellingham, Public Utility District, Agricultural Preservation Committee, and Whatcom Farmers Coop, to look at all the issues about how they can enhance the likelihood that they will see the anaerobic digesters come in to this county. Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 1/29/2002, Page 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. Crawford questioned whether it is a site - specific facility for each farm, or a community power plant of some sort. MacConnell stated they've looked at two different scenarios. One would be on -farm. The other would be a centralized facility. There are benefits either way. There are serious regulatory hurdles for a centralized facility. He doubted that would happen. (Clerk's Note: End of tape one, side A.) MacConnell continued to state there could be a centralized packaging, marketing, and distribution for the farmer, because they don't want every dairy farmer competing against each other in the market place. That is one of the reasons that the Whatcom Farmers Coop is on that team. It is a farmer -owned cooperative, and they have access to the Cenex distribution system. That is the way to go. Looming on the horizon is the issue of phosphorus. Dairies are limited in the amount of manure they can put on the field from a nitrogen standard. Federal government is coming up with phosphorus standards that will reduce the loading rate by half. Therefore, they will have to think about exporting. They don't have good information about phosphorus in manure and manure handling facilities. They began to take samples of manure at different phases of the handling process to understand where the phosphorous is and what form it is in. As they develop a management program, they can have a better understanding. They are going to continue to do that sampling and survey work to better understand phosphorous. They will continue to work with horse owners. That is an area where there is a fair amount of manure generated in the county. Many of the horse owners don't have farm plans. His agency has done many different things, including educational programs and demonstration sites for family and hobby farmers with horses. They will continue to look at eco -label products. This is a cooperative effort between Cooperative Extension, Whatcom County, and the Whatcom Farmers Coop to formulate this product, with direction towards Lake Whatcom to reduce the phosphorous loading in Lake Whatcom. There are a number of opportunities for more eco - labeled products. Lastly, a goal for 2002 nutrient management is to get the PAWS stations in. They finally got permits. The foundation went in a couple of weeks ago for both of those stations. They're hoping that they will soon have these things up and running. They will use the information for nutrient management and helping farmers understand the connection with the water carrier for those nutrients that are going out to the fields. They will also use the information for integrated pest management (IPM). (Clerk's Note: MacConnell continued his presentation by discussing the following item. See below for motion and vote.) Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 1/29/2002, Page 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. 9. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY AND WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY TO IMPLEMENT INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT EDUCATION & RESEARCH PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $75,000 (AB2002 -080) Craig MacConnell, Cooperative Extension, continued his presentation. There is a lot of interest in integrated pest management (IPM). In 2002, they will continue the forums with the various commodity groups where there is a lot of interaction, identification of research needs, and education about the latest research results. Lake Whatcom continues to be a focus. In the Puget Sound, $19 million per year is spent on crane fly pesticides. They have detected these pesticides in streams in the Lake Whatcom watershed, so this has become a real focus. They have a lot of activities around crane flies. They've created a web page in cooperation with the State Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They are averaging about 400 visits per week on the web page. As soon as the media came out about the program, the number of visits jumped to 2,500 visits per week. They have very good information from that reporting. People are aware, and are taking advantage of the information. They will continue to do sampling in the Lake Whatcom watershed. With 45 samples in the Lake Whatcom watershed, they found that none of them needed any insecticide treatment. They are getting ready to rev up the Master Gardener training again. They have a goal of 100 homes this time. The next project is the Lake Whatcom watershed living kit. There is a very significant component of IPM in that kit. The kit lists the ten most unwanted pests in the Lake Whatcom watershed. They are pests for which people use the most pesticides in the watershed. If someone picks the right plants, he or she won't get pests. They want the public to understand how that works. They are doing a number of workshops also for the Lake Whatcom watershed and other places in the county. There is IPM for public lands. They are developing a model policy and a model procedure manual for public entities in the community. The key component to the IPM program is research. If they don't have research that identifies practical, real ways to have alternatives, then they are missing the boat. They spend a lot of time doing on -farm research. Much of it is collaborative. He had the opportunity to go to Scotland this year to talk about the Nooksack IPM project, which was the forerunner. The preeminent research institution in the world for raspberries heard about what he is doing and wants to collaborate to identify new pest management monitoring programs for some of these key pests. Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 1/29/2002, Page 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. Crawford questioned how these brochures are getting to the people in the Lake Whatcom watershed. MacConnell stated the watershed living kit was originally designed to go to every new resident in the Lake Whatcom watershed. In addition, all the people who show up at the workshops will be given a kit. They are grappling with how to get the kits to everyone already in the watershed. The information will be posted on a number of websites. Crawford stated the people who go to those meetings are the ones who are concerned anyway. The ones who don't go are probably the ones who need to read it the most. MacConnell stated they did a survey of the participants last year and asked them whether or not the participants shared the information. They got phenomenal data that showed the people who went to the workshops shared it with their neighbors. He could give this year's participants two or three kits, with the idea that they will give them to the neighbors. Roy moved to recommend approval of agenda items eight and nine. Motion carried unanimously. 10. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE WHATCOM COUNTY JAIL AND GRANT DEGER, M.D. FOR THE ADDITION OF ONE CLINIC PER WEEK FOR PHYSICIAN SERVICES TO JAIL INMATES IN THE AMENDED AMOUNT OF $12,000 FOR A TOTAL AMENDED CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $42,000 (AB2002 -081) Wendy Jones, Acting Chief of Corrections, stated this is an amendment to an existing contract. The doctor provides the clinical physician time to cover basic medical care at the jail. The population has remained flat, but the number of folks accessing medical care is growing. More people are coming in ill. The one day per week that the doctor was coming in wasn't enough to meet the needs of the inmates. When the doctor wasn't there, the jail staff would access emergency services from St. Joseph's Hospital. In the first eight months that the doctor has been working with the jail, there was a 90 percent increase in the number of inmates who the doctor would see, and a concomitant reduction of about 70 percent in the number of inmates that they were sending to the hospital. Paying the doctors hourly rate instead of the emergency room charges is a much more cost - effective way of doing business. This contract recognizes the need for a second clinic every week for the offenders, plus extra on call time so the nurses can access the doctor. Crawford asked if this was approved in the budget. Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated it was. McShane moved to recommend approval. Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 1/29/2002, Page 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. Motion carried unanimously. OTHER ITEMS Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, stated an issue is developing regarding the Lottie Street sidewalk construction. The reasons the administration began the project included problems with water collection affecting the foundation of the alternative corrections building. The concrete was cracking and breaking. Large amounts of water was sitting and causing hazards for pedestrians and citizens. The administration proposed redoing the concrete to move the water in a different direction. When the workers moved the existing concrete, they discovered material that should not have been in the soil. The material has been there for many decades. The administration resolved not to cover up the material again. The workers began taking the soil out and disposing of it according to law and regulation. The administration sought the advice of experts in the community to assist the County. The workers have been trucking material out of that site and doing testing. The expenses of the project far exceed what they expected. In addition, the workers found a 8,000 - gallon tank under the alternative corrections building. The workers will remove the tank, but they are not sure how to do that. They are also reviewing whether or not there are other ways to house the functions of the alternative corrections programs. This building is 80 -years old and is the most expensive to use because it uses a lot of electricity and it is not insulated. It is not in the best interest of the County to continue using the building. The administration will do more analysis before making that decision. The administration will most likely need to execute the provision in Code for the Executive to declare a proclamation that allows the administration to breach the purchasing requirements, including the timing and procedures, to quickly remove the soil and take care of the matter. The purchasing requirements would normally take six to seven weeks to address this activity. The administration is still exploring the exact appropriate approach. Crawford questioned what is happening with the long -term facilities planning group. Desler stated they are currently negotiating with three firms to form a partnership to determine whether or not the administration would move forward with a long -term planning process. They had the money budgeted in 2001, but they did not spend any money, so it just lapsed. The administration is negotiating with the firms now. He expects final decisions in the next few weeks. Crawford questioned whether the group has met yet. Desler stated there are people who are working on this. The Law and Justice Council is interested in moving ahead with some elements of this. The administration wants to talk about this entire project and the implications of it in the context of some larger issues to the County Council. The administration is not quite there yet on the scope and breadth of the things they talked about before. There is significant interest in examining the more detailed issues around what they would require for additional Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 1/29/2002, Page 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 it 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. jail capacity over time, and the requirements of planning for that are something that the administration is very interested in continuing. Crawford stated it would be nice if they were a couple of years down the road with the recommendations of the group, to look at the building across the street in that context. That would be influencing what way the County goes. The County is knowingly putting band -aids on things to keep things shored up. Anything the Council can do to facilitate that group would be helpful. Desler stated the administration shares that concern. However, they have not made any recommendations in the last two years to the Council that have resulted in the acquisition of new property, major building projects, or any kind of significant changes in leases of contracts other than a few minor things. Those large long- term capital decisions need to be made in the context of a more comprehensive plan that is approved and set upon by a group of leaders that are in place today, and pass that plan on to future generations of leaders in this community. The County budget has been balanced by not appropriately dealing with all of the facility maintenance issues that they need to address. It is easy to ignore longer -term decisions and put them off. The County has almost 500,000 square feet of space that it is using. The County is a very large owner and operator of space. It is expensive to properly maintain, given the age and condition of some of the operations. They've been trying to bring the buildings up to a certain standard so they can rely on them to not leak and operate appropriately and safely. Crawford questioned what is happening with the Public Defender's Office use of the Civic Center fourth floor, now that the Kinney case is over. Desler stated they are trying to fit the Public Defender staff back into the courthouse. It has not been easy so far. They are continuing to work on it. It has to do with negotiating with various department heads who want what they want. The administration is trying to work with them. Caskey- Schreiber questioned what is happening with the alternative corrections programs while there is work going on around the building. Desler stated that is one of the things they are examining. The administration won't shut the service down. They are examining where the services will be housed. The choices are to leave the building as it is, take off about 20 feet of the building where the tank is, or take the entire building down. He doesn't have a recommendation yet. ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at 1:13 p.m. Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 1/29/2002, Page 14 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they are not the final approved minutes. 011-0 U; Dana Brown - Davis, Council Clerk WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON Sam Crawford, Committee Chair Finance and Administrative Services Committee, 1/29/2002, Page 15